


The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

by LopOfTheWoods



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:48:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29537763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LopOfTheWoods/pseuds/LopOfTheWoods
Summary: Finally, the novelization of the hit game Ocarina of Time is here! Follow Link as he journeys from Kokiri village to Ganondorf's castle and becomes the hero of time. Follow the friendships, love, and tragedy that made it all possible. See the stories never told, and witness the rise of one of the most beloved tales in modern fiction. Prepare yourself, the Legend of Zelda is about to begin!
Kudos: 1





	1. A goddess's legacy, a mother's love

A low moon hung over the land. Wispy clouds spread out around it, framing the celestial sphere and its light. The beams washed over wild grass and rolling hills, all silent and still. It was as if the very land itself was holding its breath. Flowers bent slightly as a breeze wound through them. A moment later, they were crushed underfoot as figures tore past.

A group of people ran with all their might in the dark. Their coarse clothing was simple, their expressions stricken with fear. Among them were a man and woman. The woman clutched a wrapped bundle to her chest as she ran, and the man kept pace beside her. Behind them, the sound of horses could be heard. A harsh voice shouted in the distance, and the bay of dogs rose up in an angry chorus. The man and woman stumbled through thickets and up the slope of a hill with the rest of the fugitives. They reached the top as the moon came out once again from the clouds. The land was lit up by the pale light, and the couple could see for miles in every direction. The sound of riders and dogs grew closer.

“This way!” one of the fleeing men shouted. He and the others started down. The man and woman remained.

“Oren,” the woman said, gripping the bundle. She panted as she tried to catch her breath. “I…I…”

“Don’t speak,” the man said, his tone strained. He took her hand and pulled her down the slope in a different direction from the rest of the group. In the distance, a forest rose up and spread out across the horizon. The shadows within it were darker than the darkest night, and its canopies seemed to form a wall that forbade entry. The man led the woman straight for it.

“Wait Oren!” the woman said, pulling back against his hand. “W-we can’t! Not there! We have to follow the others!”

“We must Aida!” the man yelled. His panicked voice echoed around them. “We have no choice! We’ll be run down otherwise!”

“Those woods are forbidden!” the woman said, pressing her cheek to her bundle with closed eyes. “If we must choose a way to die-”

The man surprised her by grabbing her shoulders. “We are not dying! Not you! Not our son!”

They were interrupted by the sound of shafts whipping through the air. Three arrows struck the ground around them, imbedding in the grass. The man and woman turned to see the riders cresting the hill. They slowed, surveying the countryside, then spotted the fugitives. The majority broke away with dogs and charged them down. Three broke away and galloped towards the man and woman. Their dogs barked and howled. The woman trembled. The man bent down and picked up a stick.

“go,” he said, his voice low.

“What!” the woman said, her expression horrified. “No!” 

“I’ll buy you time Aida! Take our son and go into the woods!” 

“NO!” the woman said, her eyes brimming with tears. “You can’t leave me Oren! I can’t do this without you! Please!”

The man turned on her and grabbed her shoulder. He kissed her, his own eyes watering, then bent and gazed at the wrapped bundle the woman held. The man gingerly pulled back a corner, revealing a small child. He kissed its forehead, then gently pushed the woman away. “go,” he said, turning towards the approaching riders. “I will see you on the other side…”

“OREN!” the woman wailed.

“GO!” the man shouted. With a cry he ran towards the riders and dogs. The woman watched him stumble as an arrow found his shoulder. A moment later two dogs tackled him to the ground. The woman screamed.

As the sound of gnashing teeth and painful cries filled the air, the woman turned and ran for the forest. Tears fell freely from her eyes as she clutched the baby. Riders shouted behind her. An arrow struck and tunneled through her back. The woman stumbled, but kept running. A second arrow found her as a lone dog leapt and bit into her side. The woman screamed again. She staggered into the forest. Arrows whipped past her, one of them striking the dog that bit her. It yelped and let go. The woman ran onward.

Branches scrapped her face and arms, and underbrush snagged her skirt. The woman hardly noticed. Blood dripped down from her wounds, leaving a red trail behind her. Deeper and deeper into the woods she went, until the sound of angry shouts and barking faded. It was replaced by the woman’s labored breathing and gasping sobs.

“o-ren,” she said, nearly tripping over a felled tree. “oren…come back to me…”

There was no response. The woman half-jogged, half-limped, the darkness swallowing her. How long had she been in the woods? Minutes, hours? Days? Time grew meaningless. The woman gripped her child and forced her feet to move. The hem of her skirt was stained with blood.

Snapping branches caused her to slow. The woman glanced around, finding herself in a small clearing. The moon shone down through the opening in the canopy. Figures shifted in the darkness at the edge of the light, peering out from the trees. The woman tried to catch her breath, swallowing tears and backing away with her baby. The figures giggled as they watched her.

“Look look!” an eerie voice said. “A lost one!”

Another shape shifted in the darkness, two bright eyes staring out at the woman. “And she’s brought a child!”

“Another friend!” a third shouted. “Another friend to join us and play!”

“Give us the child!” a voice shouted. “Give us our new friend!”

More voices joined in. “Together forever!” they chanted. “Together forever!”

“No!” the woman yelled, then flinched from the pain. “S-stay away!”

“You came to us!” a shrill voice cried. “And no one who enters leaves!”

“Together forever!” the figures yelled. “Together forever!”

“Goddesses save me!” the woman yelled, then turned and ran back into the woods. She could hear her pursuers. The figures giggled and yelped as they swung from branches and dashed around trunks. Their voices were giddy. Their laughter was cruel. 

The woman ran and ran. Through bushes, across ravines, and up and down hills. Trees surrounded her with every step. Dark trunks, shadowy canopies, and tangled branches. And behind, laughing and singing, and the chasing figures. They seemed content to let the woman go, simply following her. The woman’s breathing was ragged, the bundle still clutched to her chest. Her eyes flickered as the broken arrow shafts dangled down her back. One of the figures jumped towards her, seemingly deciding the game must end. They were stopped as a deep, low wind wound through the trees.

The forest grew silent. The woman could no longer hear the figures chasing her. Instead there was only the deep wind, and the shifting of the branches. The woman stumbled again as she broke into a second clearing. She was bathed in moonlight for a moment, then a dark shadow fell over her.

The woman slowed, then fell to her knees. She dared to look up. Towering over her was a tree taller than any castle. Its roots were the size of rivers and spread out like giant tendrils. Its canopy was a leafy ceiling that only let in small slivers of moonlight. And its trunk was so thick it seemed to hold up the sky itself. The woman swallowed as she dared to tear her gaze away. She looked at the baby in her arms, sweat dripping from her brow. The deep, low wind blew through the clearing and shook the ground. The woman looked back up, realizing it was coming from the giant tree.

“Daughter of Hylia,” a deep voice said. “Treading forbidden ground…dying on earth that does not belong to you…”

The woman slowly got back up to her feet. She staggered to the left, then caught herself. “Who…” she said, glancing around. “Who’s there!” 

“As was in the beginning,” the deep voice said. “A land for the children of the goddess, and a land for my own kin. All who enter from beyond forsake their divine heritage, and belong to me and mine. Thus, are the laws of creation observed.”

“I…” the woman said, her expression fearful. “I don’t understand! P-please! My son! I must get my son to safety!”

“Then you should not have entered these woods,” the deep voice said.

“I had no choice! Our village was raided and we fled, and my husband died so that my son and I might live! Please! Do not turn us away!”

“If you had no choice before, then I shall give you a choice now. Leave, and my children will show you the way from these lands. Or stay here and suffer your fate under the law.” The woman didn’t respond for a moment. Her face, stained with tears and gaunt from fear, slowly hardened. With trembling legs she took a step forward. The deep voice swirled around her. “So you have chosen an eternity wandering these woods. A lost soul doomed in my domain.”

The woman continued to walk. “Where are you…the one who speaks…”

The ground shook. The giant tree waved. “You stand before me daughter of Hylia,” a large face appeared on the trunk of the tree. “I am Deku, lord of the forest realms. It is I who you offend with your presence.” 

The woman fell down to her knees. “I am dying Lord Deku…I feel my life slipping away, and I have nothing to offer but the last few moments of it…” she raised the bundled baby towards the tree. “But still…I offer it. Please save my son…”

The tree didn’t respond for a few moments. A breeze rustled through the clearing, and then the tree spoke. “You offer something I have no need for, in exchange for a child I do not desire. Arrogance has always been the hallmark of your kind…”

“It is not arrogance!” the woman yelled. She gasped from the pain, falling to her knees. With one hand clutching the baby to herself, she crawled along the grass towards the roots. “it is not arrogance,” she murmured, blood smearing her path behind her.

“No,” the giant tree said, its tone saddened. “No, I misspoke. As the goddess loved you, you love your son. And what mother would not offer her life, however short, to save her child.”

“please…” the woman said, reaching the base of the tree. She slowly laid down, gasping for breath. With both hands she began unwrapping the bundle. The baby was revealed. A strong breeze blew through the clearing.

“Very well,” the giant tree said. “I thought to give you a choice, and you have chosen. The ages have not hardened my heart that I would deny your plea, and so let the course of fate take hold.”

“thank you,” the woman whispered, running a gentle hand over the baby’s head. The small boy opened his eyes, staring up curiously into the mother’s face. Tears fell from her eyes as she smiled back down at him. “Link, my brave, wonderful little boy. Not once did you cry…” The baby gurgled, then reached up with pudgy fingers for her nose. The woman closed her eyes and sniffed back tears, then opened them again with a smile. “I love you, and so does your father…please remember that Link…”

The boy cooed. The woman slowly laid down into the grass, lowering the baby near her head. She closed her eyes. A moment later, her breathing stopped.

The baby started to cry.

Its wails filled the clearing, echoing with the sound of the wind. The giant tree gazed down at the baby, until wing flaps drew its gaze. A large owl soared down and landed with mighty flaps on one of its roots. Its raised up proudly, the bird’s eyebrows curving outward like reed stalks. The owl gazed down at the woman’s lifeless body, and the baby crying beside her.

“Hm,” the owl said, ruffling its feathers. “So it is done then.”

“Perhaps,” the giant tree said, his voice rumbling. “Not even I fully understand what comes next…”

The owl tilted its head slightly. “But you did know it was coming…”

“Yes,” the tree said. “As it was foretold long ago, in times of darkness, a hero would rise to oppose its tides.”

The owl frowned, then flapped down, landing next to the woman and child. “And this boy…is that hero?”

“Perhaps…” the giant tree repeated.

“Hmph,” the owl said. “What’s his name?”

The wind blew through the clearing again. It carried the baby’s cries, then faded. The branches of the giant tree waved.

“His name is Link.”

“Link,” the owl said, nodding. “Let us hope you fare better than the others…”

The baby didn’t respond. Instead it reached out with pudgy hands, grasping for his mother’s hair. The boy stared at the woman, finally grabbing hold of her long locks. He held it to his mouth, cooing.

In the distance, someone began playing a lullaby.


	2. A Second Separation

“Waaaaahhhhhhhhh!”

A boy ran up along a rock and leapt towards a protruding branch. He caught it, slipped, then plummeted to the ground. He hit the earth and winced. After a moment, the boy rolled over and stared up at a massive green canopy. His blond hair splayed out around him, and a torn green tunic covered his body. He lay there, catching his breath, his eyes searching the branches. 

“You’re getting better Link,” a deep voice said.

The boy kicked his legs and rolled over sideways. He met the gaze of the giant tree dominating the clearing. The boy sat up, grinned, and gave the tree a thumbs up. “Yeah!” he said, then got to his feet.

Lord Deku took a deep breath, then exhaled. The wind it created blew past Link, tugging at his hair and tunic. He closed his eyes and waited for it to pass. “Link,” the giant tree said.

Link opened his eyes and beamed up at the tree. “Yes?” 

“How many summers have you counted?”

The boy frowned. He looked at his fingers, then remembered he didn’t know numbers. “Hmmmm,” he said, tapping his foot.

The giant tree chuckled. It was a sound akin to creaking wood and a low gale. “Allow me to tell you. It has been almost five summers that I have watched over you. In that time you have learned to walk and talk, run and jump, laugh and sing.”

“Yeah!” Link said, running quickly in a circle to show he agreed.

“And as large as this clearing is, not once have I ever allowed you to leave it.”

Link slowed, his frown returning. “yeah,” he said, scratching at his hair.

The giant tree gazed down at him, his expression unreadable. Finally another exhale escaped his mouth. Again Link waited for it to pass. “I think now it is time…”

“Hm?” Link said, furrowing his brow in confusion.

Lord Deku’s branches waved, unleashing a shower of leaves. They flitted down around Link. He grinned, snatching several from the air. “Yes Link,” the giant tree said. “How would you like to meet my other children?”

Link quickly turned from catching leaves, his eyes wide. “Eh?”

“You have lived long enough here with me, and I have taught you everything I can about expressing your will, and what it means for others to do the same. You are ready to go out and live with the kokiri, and learn what you can from them.”

Link blinked, doing his best to understand the tree’s words. “Ummm…”

Lord Deku closed his eyes. A deep rumble built within him. Rather than words, the wind carried a name out from his mouth.

_Sariaaaaaaaa_

Link watched the falling leaves get caught up in the wind. They swirled around him, then were carried off along with the name. “huh,” he said after they had disappeared over the forest.

“Come Link,” the giant tree said. “Come sit by my roots and eat. I shall tell you a story.”

The boy’s confusion was instantly forgotten. His face broke into a grin and he ran over to the giant tree. “Yeah!” he said, jumping with excitement. “Yeah!” He slammed into a root and rolled off it, landing in a heap on the ground. Link brushed his hair from his eyes and waited for a branch to lower from the giant tree’s canopy. It held nuts and berries. The boy grabbed two handfuls and began shoving them in his mouth. The giant tree chuckled.

“Good?”

Link beamed as berry juice ran down his chin. “Yeah!”

“Then settle down and listen little one. And I shall tell you a story of long ago…” the tree took a deep breath. Link got comfortable, his cheeks bulging with berries as he chewed. “Once there was a land that floated in the sky as a leaf does across the surface of a pond.”

Link frowned. “Huh?”

“Listen little one, or else this story will take just as long as the last one I told you,” the giant tree waited. Link nodded, covering his mouth with a hand to show he understood. “Now, where was I…ah, yes, once there were islands in the sky, and a people to live on them. These people were the children of Hylia, a goddess entrusted with a great power…”

“Father Dekuuuuu!” a voice called.

The giant tree sniffed, pausing. “Hm, it seems she was quite fast in getting here.”

Link dropped his food and turned. A small figure ran down a path that bisected the large clearing. It was a girl, a little older than Link, followed by a light that flitted around her head. The girl wore a green tunic, green skirt, and green boots. Her short, bobbed hair was green as well, and her ears were pointed like Link’s. She was stunning in the way that something wonderous and never before seen was. So much so that Link stared wide-eyed with his mouth open. Half-chewed nuts fell out and landed by his feet. 

The girl slowed as she neared the giant tree. The light bobbing around her head revealed itself to be a tiny glowing figure with wings. The girl spotted Link, a curious expression passing over her face. “Father Deku…” she said. “Has a new kokiri been born?”

The giant tree snorted in amusement, causing the surrounding trees to wave in the breeze. “No, not quite Saria. This is Link, who I have kept hidden from you and the others and raised here by himself. He is a little odd for it, but I think he is now ready to join you in the village.”

“Link…” Saria repeated, as if testing the word. Her face broke into a smile. “I like your name!”

Link still stared at her, stunned. “Puh…” he began. “Pretty…”

Saria let out a laugh. “Who, me? Or you?” she laughed again. 

“yeah…” Link said, his eyes still wide.

The tiny figure flew from Saria and circled around the boy. He gasped in surprise, falling on his rear. The glowing figure hovered in front of his nose, giggling and kicking its feet in the air. “What’s the matter boy? Where’s your fairy!”

Saria’s expression grew puzzled. “Yes…Father Deku, where _is_ his fairy?”

“He does not have one,” the giant tree said. “And do not begrudge him for it. As I said, he is to live among you, and learn your ways.”

“No fairy??” the fairy said. “How sad!”

Saria tilted her head as she studied Link. Her smile returned and she held out her hand. “Well, it’s okay. It’s nice to meet you Link!”

The boy glanced at the fairy bobbing in the air near his head, then back at Saria. He slowly accepted her hand, then allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. “eh…” he said, his cheeks burning red for a reason he didn’t understand. 

Saria kept hold of his hand, turning back to the giant tree. “Will he get a fairy someday Father Deku?”

“Hmm…” the giant tree said. “Perhaps…or, perhaps not…”

Saria frowned, putting her other hand on her hip. “Father Deku, not this again! Why can’t you ever give me a straight answer?”

The smallest hint of a smile tugged at the tree’s mouth. “You must learn to see beyond words my daughter, for yours is a fate just as important as that boy’s….”

“Hm,” Saria said, pursing her lips as she gazed up at the giant tree. “Well, I trust you Father Deku, so I’ll take Link here back to our village. But someday someone needs to teach you how to say what you mean.”

“Thank you Saria, I shall keep that advice in mind.”

The girl smiled at Link. “C’mon! I’ll show you the way!” she began leading him towards the edge of the clearing as her fairy followed. The boy dug in his feet, resisting.

Link felt confused. Things were happening too quickly, and he didn’t understand where he was being taken. He tore away his hand and ran back towards the giant tree. Link tried to hug one of the roots, but it was too big. Instead, he pressed himself against it. “No!”

The giant tree exhaled, throwing up leaves around the clearing. “Link…” he began, his voice deep but gentle. “It is alright. You have stayed long enough in this place, with an old tree that understands too little of your needs. Saria is not the same as you, but she is closer than I am. Go with her, and begin a new life in the village. We will meet again someday…”

“Leaving?” Link said, gazing up at the giant tree.

“Yes Link. You must leave.”

The boy scowled as he tried to bury his face in the root. “no…”

“Yes.”

Link shook his head, refusing to lift his face from the rough bark. He heard Saria quietly approaching behind him. “Let’s just leave him here,” the fairy said, her tone impatient.

“Hush,” Saria said softly. She turned back to the boy. “Link…do you…do you like music?”

Link didn’t move. His voice came out muffled against the wood. “yes…”

“I like music too. I could sing for you, if you like?”

Link didn’t respond for a moment. Finally he let go of the root and turned towards the girl. “Sing…?”

Saria smiled and nodded. “Yes!” she hummed out a few notes. “Like that, I could teach you as well!”

Link swallowed. The girl was still stunning, her features seemingly glowing with life. Her fairy lay sideways in the air as she studied Link, as if reclining. Saria held out a hand. He slowly took it again. She turned and started to lead him away. Link reluctantly followed. He glanced over his shoulder at the giant tree. 

“Good Link…” Lord Deku rumbled. “As I said, we will meet again someday…”

Link’s lip trembled. He didn’t know why, but he felt something very sad was happening. He could feel his heart squeezing in his chest. Before he could do anything about it, Saria began humming. The boy slowly looked back at her.

The pair made their way up a slope to the edge of the forest. Saria continued humming a song as she led Link by the hand. Her fairy circled around her head, sometimes shooting suspicious looks back at the boy. Link ignored them, instead concentrating on Saria’s voice. They reached the line of trees circling the clearing. The boy glanced one last time over his shoulder at the giant tree. Lord Deku smiled at him, wrinkling his entire trunk.

“Goodbye Link…”

The boy gave a small, confused wave, then disappeared into the forest with Saria. Suddenly he was bathed in shadow. Sunlight filtered through the trees, illuminating patches of dirt and underbrush. Saria continued to hum and lead him. Her fairy flitted on ahead, then circled back. “So what do you think he is!”

“He’s a kokiri without a fairy,” Saria said, matter-of-factly. “And that is how we will introduce him to the others.”

“Hmmm,” the fairy said, putting a hand to her chin. “I don’t know Saria…he _does_ look like us, just a little smaller. But still!” she waved her hands and did a loop in the air. “No fairy! What’s up with that!”

“Let’s not talk about it anymore Eeri, we want Link to feel welcome,” Saria glanced back at the boy with a smile. “Right?”

Link froze, unsure what was expected of him. He nodded emphatically, hoping it was enough to satisfy the strange girl. The fairy rolled her eyes. “He looks dumb as a rock…”

“Eeri!” Saria said. “That’s quite enough from you! Be nice!”

The fairy glanced at Link. The boy nodded in agreement. The fairy stuck out her tongue at him, then flew away. Link watched her go. “um…”

“Don’t worry about her,” Saria said. “She’s going to do a few laps in the sky to cool her head, then she’ll come back down.” She let go of Link’s hand and turned to him. The girl walked backwards with her hands clasped behind her back and a smile on her face. “Tell me about yourself! What was it like living with Father Deku for so many seasons!”

“Ehhhh,” Link said, scratching at his hair. “nice?”

Saria giggled, covering her mouth with a hand. “I bet it was!” she turned neatly and walked with a skip to her step, humming as she went. “I love spending time with Father Deku, but I’ve never seen you when I did. He must have been hiding you.”

Link frowned, remembering quite a few times where the giant tree had asked the boy to nap deep within his roots. “yes…hide…”

“You don’t have to hide anymore,” Saria said. She hopped up on a log and held out her hands for balance, walking along its length. “You’ll love it in the village, it’s so much fun to play with everyone!”

“okay,” Link said, crawling up onto the log after her.

“There’s Fado and Mido and Fado and the know-it-all brothers,” Saria paused, balancing on the end of the log. “It’s been so long since a new kokiri has come!” she hopped off and pointed. “There! We’re here!” She took off running. Link’s eyes grew wide in surprise. He scrambled off the log and followed after.

Saria’s fairy dove down through the canopy and raced beside the boy’s head. “Better hurry or she’ll leave you behind!” the fairy giggled, then zoomed on ahead. Link narrowed his eyes and tried to keep up.

The boy burst through a shrub and found Saria holding out both arms. He skid to a halt right in front of her. She smiled at him, then turned around. They were on a ledge, overlooking a massive clearing surrounded by trees. Within it were wooden huts built into giant trunks. Tiny figures moved down below.

“There is it,” Saria said with a smile. “Kokiri village! What do you think?”

Link didn’t answer. He simply stared, wide-eyed, at his new home. Saria’s smile grew. She took his hand, and together they began walking down the path towards the other figures. 


	3. A King's Gift

Birds chirped as sunlight spread across a bright blue sky. A garden surrounded by high stone walls echoed with the sound of a fountain. Laughter rang out, then a girl came running around a hedge. She wore a long pink and white dress that was straight and narrow, and a headdress holding back blond hair. Her ears were pointed, her eyes bright, and a smile spread across her face.

“Princess!” an angered voice said. “What are you doing!”

“Catch me Impa!” the girl called back. “See if you can!”

“You know I can! What in the goddess’s name has gotten into you!”

The girl didn’t reply, instead ducking down beside a rosebush and covering her mouth with both hands. She was barely able to conceal the grin under her fingers. The girl listened, waiting. When she didn’t hear anything, she slowly poked her head out from the bush.

“Boo,” a voice said. The girl yelped and fell backwards. A woman wearing a metal breastplate and purple pants knelt beside the bush. Her arms and legs were wrapped in gauze, and her hair was as white as snow.

“Impa!” the girl said, scowling. “That’s cheating!”

The woman arched an eyebrow. “And how exactly is that cheating Princess Zelda?”

The girl crossed her arms and turned away. “Making me think I had lost you, you tricked me!”

The woman snorted, then stood up. “If you insist on playing games my princess, then I will insist on teaching you how to properly win them. Next time, gain more distance, or find a better hiding place.”

The girl, Zelda, sighed, then stood as well. She brushed at her clothing and fixed her headdress. “Well the mood is ruined now, I don’t want to play anymore.”

“Good,” Impa said. “Come, your father expects you to make an appearance in the gallery at court today.”

Zelda frowned. “He has been acting quite strange lately, having me do things I have not needed to do before. Just yesterday he made me listen to that mean teacher about such things as taxes and tithes! Impa it was horrible!”

Impa smirked. “If I did not know any better one would think you were a princess and had need of such lessons.” 

“I don’t like your tone,” Zelda said. She leaned forward and inspected one of the roses. “Father acts as if I am to become queen tomorrow. But I say I have many years to go, and wish to learn of other things.”

“Yes your interests are very narrow, now come along princess, enough stalling.”

Zelda straightened back up and turned to Impa. “If I do this, will you teach me the magic you use?”

Impa turned and started walking for a stone archway. “They’re tricks, not magic.”

“I don’t mean your smoke bombs, I mean your _magic_ Impa!” Zelda hurried after the woman. “I know you can use it!”

“And _I_ have no idea what you’re talking about. We sheikah train in many things, but we tend to stay away from the higher arts.”

Zelda pursed her lips as she followed the woman under the archway. She paused upon reaching a large door and took a deep breath. The girl straightened her posture, made her face devoid of emotion, and smoothed out a final crease in her dress. In the garden she was leaving she was allowed to be Zelda. But everywhere else, she was a proper princess. 

A large castle hall spread out before them as she and Impa entered. Tapestries and burners lined the walls, and a richly-colored carpet ran down the center. “You can deny me your magic secrets,” Zelda said. “But I’ll get you to tell me one way or another.”

“Why don’t you get your teacher to tell you about taxes instead?”

Zelda was about to respond, but stopped as the pair came across four guards standing at attention near a massive doorway. Several others were gathered outside it, courtly Hyrulian men and women in fine clothing and ornate jewelry. They talked among themselves until they noticed Zelda and Impa. The courtiers bowed deeply as the guards moved to open the doors. The princess gave a slight nod to two of them, then passed through. Several staircases led up in different directions. Zelda took one guarded by two warriors. She emerged onto a private stone balcony given privacy by a silk curtain. The murmurs of a small crowd drifted up and echoed around the air. Beyond the curtain was a massive stone hall. It was supported by columns, with a high arched ceiling and stained glass. Nearly a hundred courtiers and dignitaries were gathered in front of a staircase leading up to a throne. Sitting on it was Zelda’s father, the king of Hyrule. Behind him was a giant royal crest adoring the wall. The princess settled down in a chair as Impa stood beside her.

She nudged her guardian ever-so-slightly. “Impa,” she murmured. “Look, Gorons!”

Several of those gathered before the throne were large figures with muscled arms, thick bodies, and rounded heads with no neck. Their skin was bronzed and hard like stone. They wore few clothing, save for finely-stitched loincloths and gold armbands decorated with jewels. “I see them princess,” Impa murmured back.

Zelda scooted forward in her seat. “And look! Zoras!”

The dignitaries in question were tall, with graceful figures, silken togas and jewelry, fins protruding form their limbs, and elongated heads that ended in fish tails. “Yes yes,” Impa said, gently pulling Zelda back into her chair. “You should be listening to what they’re saying.” 

Voices echoed around the hall. Several people were trying to speak as the king listened from his throne. It dawned on Zelda that there was an argument taking place. The loudest of courtiers was a Hyrulian lord wearing long robes and a feathered, floppy hat. “-so then it is UNITY and ISOLATION, rather than JUSTICE that we are to pursue?” he yelled, gesturing.

“That is _not_ what the king is saying,” a tall Zora said.

“Then let us hear it from his own mouth!” the lord yelled, gesturing up at the throne. “How many years did _my_ people fight and die in the war? How many towns were lost, how many fields burned! I look around this hall and see the faces of those responsible! Yet I am not allowed to seek restitution for my loss?”

“The war was not one-sided!” the Zora yelled back. “Or did your warriors simply stand still and let themselves be killed?”

“How dare you!-”

“We all lost kin,” a Goron said, his deep voice rumbling. “Is there enough justice here to go around for everyone then?”

“I am not a Goron nor a Zora!” the lord yelled. “I am a Hyrulian serving a Hyrulian king!”

“Then it is preferential treatment you are asking for,” another Zora said.

“I am hardly asking anything! And even of what little I ask you deny! A land united under one crown, and yet no one may travel anywhere in it without royal permission! Are we to rebuild in the dark, separate from each other? If there is no justice, if there are to be no restitutions, then at the very least let there be free and open trade!” 

The hall erupted in murmurs and shouting. Everyone spoke at once as the king seemed content to watch. Zelda furrowed her brow, then turned in her chair towards Impa. “I do not understand, why are they so angry?”

“It’s the war,” Impa said. Her expression was oddly cold as she gazed down at the courtiers in the hall. “It’s always the war…six years it has been done and still it haunts us, as I feel it will for many more years to come.”

“They wish to go back to war then?” Zelda said, turning back to the hall with a frown.

“No. They are angry they have lost so much, and cannot reclaim it under the law. For the dead are dead and what’s done is done. So in the interest of peace and stability, your father the king is restricting travel until such grudges are settled and forgotten.”

“Hmm,” Zelda said, narrowing her eyes as she watched the proceeding. “And why does my father wish me to watch this? I don’t like it when people shout…”

“I told you already,” Impa said. “The war will haunt us for many years to come, and you will likely have to deal with its consequences as well. The sooner you learn how, the better.”

“Quiet!” a courtier yelled. He banged a scepter on the stage next to the throne. “Quiet and order in the king’s hall! Quiet and order!”

The gathering quieted down, all save the Hyrulian lord. “And where are those damned westerners!” he yelled. “They dare to hide in their deserts like snakes? They must come out and face what they have done just as we all are!”

Murmurs of agreement rose in the hall. Voices grew angrier, and the tension thickened. “I want peace!” another lord shouted. “But if we must see the faces of our enemies and call them friend, so too must those of the desert tribes!”

“Bring them here!” a third lord shouted. “Let them give an account of their actions!”

Zelda stood, her expression angry. “What are you doing,” Impa said, furrowing her brow with concern. The princess turned briskly and headed for the stairs.

“I wish to relieve myself.”

Impa quickly followed her down the stairs. “You know princess, you should do such things before-” At the bottom of the staircase Zelda abruptly turned and entered the hall. She strode angrily down the center as the lords were all shouting around her. “ZELDA!” Impa shouted after her. The girl ignored her. She forced her way between two courtiers and emerged in front of the throne stairs. She took several steps up it, then turned on the hall. Many stared back at her in confusion.

“Enough!” she shouted. The hall grew quiet. Zelda eyed everyone with a glare. “Do not shout at my father! He is the king, and there must be peace!”

The first Hyrulian gestured in disbelief. “Do my eyes deceive me? Must the princess come out and defend the king? Little girl, leave these matters to those who have seen more of-“

“Enough,” the king said. His voice was weary, but also held a hint of anger. Everyone fell silent at the sound of it. Zelda’s father gestured from the throne. “Come up here Zelda.” The girl quickly obeyed, lifting the hem of her dress as she ascended. She came to a stop next to the king. “You should have stayed in the gallery,” he murmured.

“Forgive me father,” Zelda said, bowing her head. “But I could not stand to hear them speak to you so.”

“You will have to get used to it sooner rather than later, for one day they will dare to speak the same way to you.” He turned back to the hall, his voice rising in volume. “As a king I have a duty to listen to my people when I enact a decree. I have listened to everything said here, and so I have fulfilled my duty. Now, I will carry through with my decree.” 

“Then you are to ignore us!” the lord yelled.

“Listen well,” the king said. “There is a fine line between righteous anger and disrespect. Do not make the mistake of confusing the two. Not in these halls Lord Nato. Not before my throne.” The lord’s expression remained defiant, but only for a moment. He cleared his throat, lowered his head, and fell silent. The king nodded approvingly. “These measures I take will not last forever. There have been seven years of peace, and my most beloved daughter has only known six of them. These things will take time, but I wish for her and all the other children to be a generation that only knows peace. To this end, I must make difficult decisions. Including, as you say Lord Nato, choosing unity over justice, and isolation until old wounds have healed. You may disagree if you wish, but it is _my_ head that wears the crown, and it is on _my_ shoulders that the safety of all of Hyrule rests. So I will do my duty as king and protect it. We all remember the war. What happened then can never happen again. Or does someone here wish to return to those times?” The hall remained silent, everyone’s expressions solemn. The king nodded again. “Good. Then in witness of the court of Hyrule, henceforth all travel to and from the domains of the Zora, the Goran, and the Gerudo are sealed unless royal permission is obtained. This goes for merchant and lord alike, and will last until all blood feuds have been forgotten.” The king nodded to the courtier with the scepter. He banged it loudly on the stage.

“Court is adjourned! Let all who still have petitions and grievances return tomorrow!” 

The crowd began murmuring and moving. Some grouped off to have discussions, while others made their way to the doors. The king stood, gathering his robes around him. “Come Zelda, let us walk.”

The princess nodded. Impa, who had been waiting at the bottom of the stairs, quickly ascended. “Forgive me my king,” the woman said, eyeing Zelda. “I could not stop her.”

“It is no matter,” the king said. A small smile appeared on his face as he gazed down at Zelda. “My daughter is willful, but that may yet serve her well in the future if she learns to temper it with wisdom.” He walked towards a side door. Zelda and Impa followed.

“You should not let them yell at you like that,” the princess said. “You are a king father.”

“It is because I am a king that I let them yell. At least at the appropriate time. Better angered words than angered actions.”

“Still, must they talk of war so much? Impa says even I will have to deal with it!”

The king paused, then glanced back at his daughter. His expression was sad, but he still wore a small smile. “My daughter, I will do everything in my power to ensure there is peace in Hyrule when you are queen. Of that, I promise you, for I can think of no better gift a king can give his daughter.”

Zelda was unsure what to say. She was still irritated at the courtiers, but also unsure of her father’s strange tone and the sadness of his expression. The princess simply bowed her head. “Thank you father.”

The king’s smile grew slightly, then he turned and continued on. “Have patience dear daughter, and faith. And one day you will rule over a peaceful and united Hyrule.”

It was Zelda’s turn to wear a small smile. “Yes father,” she said, then quickly followed after him. 


End file.
